If your car doesn’t have a built-in docking station for the iPod, then the iLuv i707 may be the right accessory for you.

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It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to use this FM transmitter: all you need to do is to plug in your iPod (the i707 comes with various adapters for a snug fit) and plug the device into the car’s cigarette lighter port. The i707 also comes with an extension arm, bringing the device closer to you for easy control of the iPod.

The unit has an white backlit LCD screen that displays the current ‘broadcast’ station and has four control buttons. The transmitter can store two stations on its on-board memory, but users can change it with ease and store the new station in one of the memory positions. The range of the device is 88.1 to 107.9 Mhz so any stations within those frequencies can be stored.

We first tested the unit on the highway driving towards Canberra and did not find any problems with the unit. Songs were clear and static-free, with the unit broadcasting strongly throughout our journey.

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For our second test, we took our car to the city, where a lot of FM transmitters fail due to different radio interference. The once ‘blank’ station has now been taken over, but the interference was only noticeable in-between songs. Changing to another station solved the problem and only took us a couple of seconds to do.

The dock can be swivelled, allowing the person seated on the passenger seat to control the music while the driver concentrates on driving. The unit can also be tilted up and down so that it can fit in limited spaces.

The i707 charges the unit while plugged in although we found that it was able to continue transmitting even if it was removed from the cigarette lighter port using the iPod’s battery. This is good for those who urgently need to plug in another device (like a navigation system) but still want to listen to music from their iPod.

Overall, the iLuv FM transmitter is a must-have: it allows you to listen to music from your iPod without the wires. It is available now for an RRP of $119.95. See www.iworldaustralia.com.au for more details.